Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Timing is everything in politics. And on the day that Labour and LibDems have just launched two videos on policing, some Conservatives have released one attacking what they feel are benefits scroungers who they accuse of spending their benefits on drugs. The folks at Boris HQ will be tairing their blonde manes out.

The Livingstone and Paddick operations, Labour and LibDem, have both stepped up their attacks on the cut in Police numbers that Boris admits has taken place under his Mayoralty, with each campaign releasing videos that you can watch above and below. Ken's is a bit OTT but the point is about people having their voice heard while Paddick's is more a chatty interview type piece.

Neither candidate particularly likes the other but it's quite clear the person they really want to unseat is Boris and I would expect them to co-operate at some point in the campaign with the polls still indicating that Boris could lose. So expect policing to be a major issue between now and May - and if you want a taste of what local policing looks like in Shepherd's Bush you could read about one Saturday night policing the Bush or one extraordinary raid with the police I took part in here.

Meanwhile Tory supporters have released their own video, also today, depicting unemployed people as "lazy" including a woman who calls herself a "lazy cow" and is on drugs including "heroin and crack". It's been tweeted by Toby Young, H&F's favourite Free Schooler:

1205 UPDATE: Andy Slaughter had the first question at today's Prime Minister's Questions where he raised the issue of police cuts with David Cameron. Rather excruciatingly for Mr Slaughter given yesterday's events the Prime Minister had started the session by paying tribute to the Queen, which Mr Slaughter then had to echo. His claim was that Boris had cut numbers - the PM pointed out that crime was down. And that there were dangers of careless Tweeting...